Uploaded February 2022 | Updated September 2026, 15 hours ago
Often it seems that boiled shrimp are encountered in a ring format, around a bowl of cocktail sauce. This is fine for an hors d’oeuvres display, but boiled shrimp can also be a delicious family dinner, with a lot more character, and with more than just shrimp. Growing up we used to make a version of this, more focused on seafood, with maybe just the corn and shrimp, and more shrimp, or perhaps even crab. Whatever shellfish you can boil could be prepared this way, but shrimp are by far the most common, and the easiest to obtain.
In making stock, the temperature is raised slowly, to extract flavor. We are not making stock. We want to impart flavor to the food, so we want to get the aromatic mixture boiling, and then add the main ingredients, to flavor them while they cook.
Make sure that all other items are ready, the table is set (perhaps covered with a sheet of plastic), etc. Once the shrimp go into the boil, it won’t take them long to be ready, and then to overcook, so be ready to strain the solids from the broth and serve it while the shrimp are at their prime.
Makes enough for 2-4 people.
Equipment:
• large dutch oven or small stock pot
• large strainer or colander
• large serving bowl
Ingredients:
1 pack shrimp boil
2 quarts water
1 ea beer (I like a floral IPA for this)
1 ea lemon
1 bulb garlic
1 rib celery
1 ea bay leaf
2 Tbsp salt
2-6 ea dried chilis home-dried bird’s eye chilis
1-2 ea jalapenos or poblano, or serrano, as you like
3 ears corn shucked, trimmed if need be, cobs cut in thirds or quarters
8-10 ea small new potatoes
1 lb andouille sausage smoked chorizo is a decent substitute
2 lb shrimp shell-on, heads optional
Procedure:
1. Assemble all the aromatics into the pot: shrimp boil packet, water, beer, lemon, garlic, celery, bay leaf, salt, dried chilis and fresh peppers. Bring it to a low boil.
2. Once the broth (a court bouillon) is boiling, add the potatoes.
3. Wait 10 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook partially.
4. Add the corn and the sausage.
5. Continue cooking 5 more minutes.
6. Pile the raw shrimp on top of the mixture; do not stir the shrimp in. Attempt to keep them on top of the solids in the pot.
7. Let the pot simmer for 2 minutes.
8. Turn the heat off, and let the pot stand another 10 minutes or so. Smaller shrimp may be done in 6-8 minutes.
9. Strain the solids from the liquid and serve in the middle of a covered table, so that everyone can get to the shrimp, corn and potatoes, and can discard their shells and cobs onto the table.
10.The shrimp boil liquid could potentially be used again, soon, but should not be kept for long.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
Often it seems that boiled shrimp are encountered in a ring format, around a bowl of cocktail sauce. This is fine for an hors d’oeuvres display, but boiled shrimp can also be a delicious family dinner, with a lot more character, and with more than just shrimp. Growing up we used to make a version of this, more focused on seafood, with maybe just the corn and shrimp, and more shrimp, or perhaps even crab. Whatever shellfish you can boil could be prepared this way, but shrimp are by far the most common, and the easiest to obtain.
In making stock, the temperature is raised slowly, to extract flavor. We are not making stock. We want to impart flavor to the food, so we want to get the aromatic mixture boiling, and then add the main ingredients, to flavor them while they cook.
Make sure that all other items are ready, the table is set (perhaps covered with a sheet of plastic), etc. Once the shrimp go into the boil, it won’t take them long to be ready, and then to overcook, so be ready to strain the solids from the broth and serve it while the shrimp are at their prime.
Makes enough for 2-4 people.
Equipment:
• large dutch oven or small stock pot
• large strainer or colander
• large serving bowl
Ingredients:
1 pack shrimp boil
2 quarts water
1 ea beer (I like a floral IPA for this)
1 ea lemon
1 bulb garlic
1 rib celery
1 ea bay leaf
2 Tbsp salt
2-6 ea dried chilis home-dried bird’s eye chilis
1-2 ea jalapenos or poblano, or serrano, as you like
3 ears corn shucked, trimmed if need be, cobs cut in thirds or quarters
8-10 ea small new potatoes
1 lb andouille sausage smoked chorizo is a decent substitute
2 lb shrimp shell-on, heads optional
Procedure:
1. Assemble all the aromatics into the pot: shrimp boil packet, water, beer, lemon, garlic, celery, bay leaf, salt, dried chilis and fresh peppers. Bring it to a low boil.
2. Once the broth (a court bouillon) is boiling, add the potatoes.
3. Wait 10 minutes to allow the potatoes to cook partially.
4. Add the corn and the sausage.
5. Continue cooking 5 more minutes.
6. Pile the raw shrimp on top of the mixture; do not stir the shrimp in. Attempt to keep them on top of the solids in the pot.
7. Let the pot simmer for 2 minutes.
8. Turn the heat off, and let the pot stand another 10 minutes or so. Smaller shrimp may be done in 6-8 minutes.
9. Strain the solids from the liquid and serve in the middle of a covered table, so that everyone can get to the shrimp, corn and potatoes, and can discard their shells and cobs onto the table.
10.The shrimp boil liquid could potentially be used again, soon, but should not be kept for long.
Music: bensound.com/royalty-free-music
